State of Indiana May Pay to Help Chicago Bears Escape Lease at Soldier Field
- Illinois lawmakers adjourned their spring session on Monday without passing legislation to assist the Chicago Bears, leaving the team to decide between Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana.
- Senate Democrats rejected a House-passed "megaprojects" bill on Saturday, as Gov. JB Pritzker stated he was unwilling to provide billions in taxpayer money to assist a wealthy franchise.
- Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott touted Indiana's offer, which directs about $1 billion in taxpayer money toward infrastructure, while calling Bears officials "good poker players" regarding their site selection.
- House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch noted that stadium discussions surfaced frequently at the "kitchen table," while Bears officials maintained their late spring or early summer decision timeline.
- Legislators are not scheduled to meet again until October, extending a five-year Chicago Bears stadium odyssey that has yet to produce a definitive location.
53 Articles
53 Articles
State of Indiana may pay to help Chicago Bears escape lease at Soldier Field
INDIANAPOLIS — Finger-pointing has begun just over 24 hours after the Illinois General Assembly ended its legislative session without a firm plan to help the Chicago Bears build a new stadium in the Land of Lincoln. In Indiana, however, officials involved in talks to convince the Bears to play their home games in Hammond were [...]
Illinois House Speaker on AI Regulation, Bears Stadium Incentives
Illinois House Speaker on AI Regulation, Bears Stadium Incentives Andrew Montequin Tue, 06/02/2026 - 18:50 It was well past 4 a.m. Monday when the Illinois House of Representatives adjourned for the summer. The budget had been balanced, and a flurry of bills were sent to the governor’s desk. But a busy finish to the spring session left some of the biggest decisions — in some cases, the decision to wait — until the very end. AI regulations, a sch…
'This is going to be a bad deal for Pritzker if we lose the Bears:' said Darren Bailey
The Chicago Bears may move to Indiana due to a lack of funding for a new stadium in Illinois, as Governor Pritzker and state lawmakers have been unable to pass a bill, while Indiana is offering $1 billion in incentives.
How the Bears’ stadium deal collapsed — an echo of the 1988 White Sox drama
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — As the midnight adjournment deadline approached on the final night of Illinois’ 1988 spring legislative session, a sense of pressure gripped the statehouse. Gov. James R. Thompson and House Speaker Michael Madigan roamed the rows of the…
Bears stadium bill dies, breaking down the budget | The Chicago Report
The Bears stadium bill was not considered by the House, and with the legislative session over, what's all included in the state's budget? We break it all down in this episode of "The Chicago Report."
How the Chicago Bears’ stadium deal collapsed in Springfield — an echo of the 1988 White Sox drama
Factionalized Bears leadership, Mayor Brandon Johnson's last-minute interference and shifting public attitudes toward taxpayer stadium subsidies doomed a yearslong effort to keep the team in Illinois.
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